FIFA rules all women's teams must have female coaches

FIFA have decreed all women’s teams competing in world tournaments must have a woman head or assistant coach on the bench.

The rule, newly approved by the FIFA Council, applies to national and club competitions at the senior and youth levels, including the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil and this year’s U20 Women’s World Cup in Poland.

Along with the female head or assistant coach, the edict mandates the presence of at least one more female staffer on each team’s bench.

Australia, who are in the final of the Asian Cup where they will meet Japan on Saturday, are currently coached by Joe Montemurro.

His deputy is former English-born footballer Emily Husband, who mentored the Central Coast Mariners to their first ALW title, while Leanne Hall is also on the coaching team.

“There are simply not enough women in coaching today. We must do more to accelerate change by creating clearer pathways, expanding opportunities and increasing the visibility for women on our sidelines,” FIFA chief football officer Jill Ellis, the former US women’s national team coach, said in a statement.

“The new FIFA regulations, combined with targeted development programs, mark an important investment in both the current and future generation of female coaches.”Women coached 12 of 32 teams at the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. Seven of those sides now field a male head coach and four nations previously coached by men now have a woman in the role.

Six teams at that tournament, which Spain won with a 1-0 victory over England in the final, did not employ any female coaches.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino addressed the subject in February at the UEFA Congress in Belgium.

with AAP